"Disguised as friends but moving like enemies"- Fred Kerley makes strong claim about people from his past

Fred Kerley shared a strong statement on the people in his circle on social media. Kerley, who is regarded as one of the best sprinters in the nation, specializes in the 100m, 200m, and 400m sprint events.

The American track and field athlete last competed at the Franson Last Chance Meet in California, where he won the 100m event with a time of 9.87 seconds.

Kerley made his breakthrough at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he made his Olympic debut. He won the silver medal in the 100m event, and would go on to achieve success at the Eugene 2022 World Championships, where he won the gold medal in the 100m with a time of 9.86 seconds. Kerley competed for Texas A&M University during his collegiate career, where he won multiple NCAA titles.

In a story post on Instagram, Fred Kerley shared a strong statement on his circle of friends, writing:

““The problem with me?”” I let too many rats run in my circle and too many snakes slither close, smiling in my face while feeding off my light. They weren’t adding to my peace - they were draining it. Disguised as friends, but moving like enemies. They clapped for my wins, but prayed for my fall. I used to wonder why I felt so heavy, why progress felt slow, but I was carrying dead-weight people who never wanted me to fly. They took what they needed: my time, my trust, my energy - but never gave back a damn thing worth keeping.”

"Now? They gone. Cut off. No second chances. And guess what? My vision got clearer, my peace got louder, and my path lit up. I’m not bitter - I'm better. Because healing starts with recognizing who really for you and who just there for the ride.”

Still taken from Kerley's Instagram (source: @fkerley99/Instagram)

Fred Kerley also competed at the Grand Slam Track in Kingston, Jamaica, which ran in early April 2025.

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Fred Kerley made his professional breakthrough in 2017

Fred Kerley at the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 - Source: Getty

Fred Kerley is regarded as one of the most versatile sprinters in the world right now, but his professional breakthrough came earlier in 2017. Kerley helped the U.S 4x400m relay team win the silver medal at the World Championships in London, cementing his status as one of the top sprinting prospects in the nation.

This was the season Kerley earned multiple NCAA titles and set collegiate records in the 400m events. He also won the U.S National Title in the same year in the 400m.

After winning a bronze medal in the 100m at the Paris Olympics, Kerley will have his sights set on an even better showing at this year's World Championships.